Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

February 24, 2021

Patients with Uncomplicated COVID-19 Have Long-Term Persistent Symptoms and Functional Impairment Similar to Patients with Severe COVID-19: A Cautionary Tale during a Global Pandemic

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Persistent COVID-19 symptoms at 3-4 month after infection were found in 82% of patients who had been hospitalized and 64% of those who had not been hospitalized, the most prevalent of which included fatigue and difficulty breathing (dyspnea). Patients were recruited from clinical trials occurring at a single center (Stanford). The majority had mild/moderate COVID-19 with only 22/118 (19%) hospitalized during initial illness. While cough, dyspnea, and sore throat at COVID-19 onset were associated with having ≥2 symptoms at 3-4 months post-COVID-19 in univariate analysis, after adjusting for gender, age, race/ethnicity, hospitalization status, and BMI, only dyspnea at disease onset was significantly associated with ≥2 persistent symptoms (aOR=3.7). The study also noted significant memory problems (17%) and hair loss (12%) at follow-up.

Jacobson et al. (Feb 7, 2021). Patients with Uncomplicated COVID-19 Have Long-Term Persistent Symptoms and Functional Impairment Similar to Patients with Severe COVID-19: A Cautionary Tale during a Global Pandemic. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab103